2-12A Warren Road (former coastguard dwellings)

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey, red brick, hipped roof terrace block with end bays and squat look-out turret, built c.1875-80 as a coastguard station, now containing nine dwellings with some window openings and rear returns altered in recent years and PVC window frames and doors. The block is set on the W side of Warren Road with a partially obscured view of the open sea.

The terrace originally contained nine dwellings, but two have been amalgamated into one (now no.10), with a new one created with the conversion of the former look-out turret and stores to the N end (no.12a).

FRONT, N AND S ELEVATIONS
No.2 is to the S end of the block. To the left of the E front is a timber door screen with sidelights and panelled timber door set in a segmental arch headed opening. The first floor of this section is blank. To the right is a large full height projection with a single storey canted bay with hipped natural slate roof. The bay now is fitted with modern PVC windows and these all have sandstone sills. The lintels are in sandstone and form a continuous band around the bay. The projecting sandstone eaves course continues to either side as a string course along the length of the building. To the first floor there are two segmental arch headed windows each with brick ‘inner reveals’ and PVC frames. The windows have segmental soldiered brick arches and rest on sandstone sills. The left corner of the bay has in-out brick quoins. The quoins to the right corner (along with the S face of the projection) are now obscured with plain cement render. The N face of the bay is in the original brick and is blank.

No.2a To the right on the front façade is a window with PVC frame. To the right is a paired door arrangement, with that to left belonging to no.2a. The door itself is now PVC and semicircular fanlight has PVC ‘tracery’. A pair of semicircular arch heads with contrasting brick voussoirs and keystone surmount the door openings of this door and its neighbour To the first floor are two semicircular arch headed windows each with PVC top hung frames.

No.4 To the right is a timber door with vertical sheeting and plain semicircular fanlight. To the right is recently enlarged window with PVC frame and slim concrete sill. To first floor are two PVC windows as no.2a.

No.6 A PVC panelled door sits below the left side of a paired semicircular arch headed opening, as before. To the left is a recently enlarged window opening with plain frame.

No.8 The door to no 8 is as per that to no.6. To the right is a window with PVC frame, with two to first floor (as previous properties) also with PVC frames.

No.8a The door to left is timber with vertical sheeting.. To the right is a window with PVC frame while to the first floor are two similar windows, as first floor previous.

No.10 This comprises two original houses which are now amalgamated. To the right is a PVC door with surround as before. To the left are two recently enlarged windows with PVC frames. To the far left is the original door opening which now sports a semicircular arch headed PVC window. To first floor are four PVC windows, as first floors previous.

No.12 To the left is a PVC door with a surround and to the right is a window with PVC frame. To the first floor are two windows with PVC frames, as previous properties.

No.12a is to the N end of the block. It largely consists of a squat seven-sided, two and a half storey, former look-out tower with hipped roof. To the three E facing faces of this tower there is a narrow (arrow loop-like) slit window with flat brick arch with contrasting voussoir. To each corresponding first floor face is a sash window with Georgian panes (6/6) and dressings, as before, with a squat six pane window to the central face on the second floor. One of the N faces of the tower has a window to the first floor and one to the second floor, as E.

The central of the N facing faces of the turret is much broader than the other faces and has a ground floor doorway with modern door. The rest of the ground floor level of this face is rendered. An open concrete stair (with masonry guard rail) rises to the right of the ground floor doorway, winding round the N / S faces of the turret to a small sentry box like rendered porch at first floor level. This stair is believed to be original and gave access to the look-out room and office which were on second and first floor respectively.

The front façade sits on a squared rubble base with a and a sandstone coping. The eaves course is formed from corbelled brickwork.

The short S elevation is three storey, the ground cut away to reveal a semi-basement level. To the centre of the elevation is a large full height hipped roof bay with a narrow window to the centre of the bay at each floor. To the W face of the bay there is a small window to the top floor with a slightly larger one to semi-basement level, both have modern frames.

REAR ELEVATION
No12 To the right hand rear of no.12 is a large two storey gabled return To the left is a PVC framed window to ground floor with another to first floor. To the (W) gable of the return is a recent-looking flat roofed return. The upper floor of the gable is blank. The N face of the original return has a partly glazed door to the left and a PVC framed window to the right. To the centre of the first floor is a PVC window.

No 10 The ground floor is obscured by a modern ‘U’ shaped flat roofed return (which is sandwiched between the two storey returns of the neighbouring properties. To the first floor are four PVC framed windows of various size.

No.8a To the left of the rear elevation is a large (recently built / rebuilt) two storey hipped roof return To the W face is a further single storey hipped roof modern return. To the right (the W face of the original rear wall) is a window to ground floor and a window to first floor both of which have PVC frames.

No.8 This is a handed version of no. 8a.

No.6 To the left side of no. 6 is a two storey flat roofed return. To its W face is a single storey return which is also flat roofed. The ground floor of the rear wall of the original building is blank while to the first floor is a modern window.

No.4 To the right side is a single storey return mono pitch roof. To the right is a PVC framed window while to first floor there are two PVC framed windows, that to the right being the smaller.

No.2a To the left is a two storey flat roofed (full width) modern extension. To left side of the W face are a further two smaller single storey extensions.

No.2 There are two windows to ground floor and a further two to first floor. All have modern frames. Those to the right side are set slightly lower. To the semi-basement level there is a modern glazed door to left.

The block is largely constructed in red brick with restrained cream coloured brick decoration. The hipped roof is slated and has a series of ‘chunky’ brick chimney stacks. Rw goods are a mixture cast iron and PVC. The roof of the turret and the S bay each have elaborate wrought iron finials / ridge decorations. Modern rear extensions are all in red facing brick with the exception of no. 6 which is finished in unpainted render. Some return roofs have artificial ‘slate’.

To front of the block are shared gardens with a tall rubble wall to the street.

Historical information

The coastguard station is believed to have been built between 1875-80. It acted as the chief station for the North Ards area and as such had accommodation for both the Lieutenant and the Area Commander. It appears to have remained in use as a station until c.1950.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI VAL/12E/121/1/1-9 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1864-1908
2 PRONI OS/8/8/2//1-3 OS town plan of Donaghadee, 1901
3 PRONI VAL/12E/121/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1908-35
4 PRONI VAL/3G/69/2/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1932-56
5 PRONI VAL/3G/69/1/1-3 Valuation town plan of Donaghadee, 1934-43

Secondary sources
1 Hugh Dixon, Ken Kenmuir and Jill Kennett, ‘Historic buildings…Donaghadee and Portpatrick’ (Belfast, 1977), p.28

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Two storey, red brick, hipped roof terrace block with end bays and squat look-out turret, built c.1875-80 as a coastguard station, now containing nine dwellings with some window openings and rear returns altered in recent years and a profusion of PVC window frames and doors.